(Source: http://www.thefilmpilgrim.com)

May is considered when the Summer movie blockbuster season officially begins, but now that it is June, we can say that it is in full swing. Some of my most anticipated films of the year are coming out this month (cough… Man of Steel… cough…), so without further delay here are the big releases of June 2013.

June 7

The Purge – This film looks to be an interesting take on the home invasion genre, combining it with a weird dystopian future where crime rates have reached almost non-existent levels, thanks in part to a 12 hour period each year where all crime is made legal. The film stars Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey.

The Internship – Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson re-team up for a comeback. Both actors seem to have been left back in the mid-2000s with their Wedding Crashers and Old School compatriots, so it will be very interesting to see if this style of comedy still works in our more jaded day and age right now.

Much Ado About Nothing – I saw this flick back at last years Toronto International Film Festival and I absolutely loved it. Joss Whedon assembles his own group of super-heroes, actors who have been in his many past productions, to do a modern re-telling of one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies. Filmed in Black and White and shot at his house, this quick and easy production has created one of my favourite films this (last) year.

June 12

This is the End – One day, I may look back at the guys in this movie the same way I have at Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson above, but for now, these guys are still the hottest commodities in Comedy. Take the entire Seth Rogen – Judd Apatow troupe, have them attend a party at James Franco’s house, and then destroy the world. That is the plot of this film, and it looks to have struck some comedic gold.

June 14

Man of Steel – This is my most anticipated film of the Summer. I love Superman. Call me old-fashioned, but his entire existence fills me with hope and longing to be a better person. As the score breaks in the trailers for this film, I get shivers down my spine. This looks to be a beautiful film and I hope it lives up to the magic that the trailers are putting forward.

June 21

World War Z – I am a huge fan of the Max Brooks fictional history of which this film is based, and I have to say that I have my fears with this film. It had a rather well publicized series of production hassles, including a very unhappy Brad Pitt at times. I hope this film is half as good as the book, because its source material almost single-handedly changed the entire zombie genre.

Monsters University – I love almost every one of Pixar’s films, but I can’t help but feel their weakest material comes in the form of sequels (with the exception of Toy Story 3). So I am nervous about this one. I love Monsters University. I love the concept. I love the character design. I love the story. I love how gentle Pixar made the world of monsters. Please Pixar, don’t f*** this one up.

June 28

White House Down – Didn’t this movie already come out? How does this happen… Deep Impact has Armageddon, Dante’s Peak has Volcano, and now Olympus Has Fallen has White House Down. Instead of Gerard Butler we have Channing Tatum. Sorry to say, but I prefer the former. Oh, and this is given to us by the one and only Roland Emmerich, a man only slightly more loved than Paul WS Anderson and Uwe Boll.

The Heat – Do not confuse this with Michael Mann’s awesome LA Crime Thriller starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. No, this is a buddy cop comedy starring Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock. Now this is written and directed by Paul Feig, the guy who brought us Bridesmaids, which I loved, but Melissa McCarthy has burned a lot of the good will going her way this year by being in several very mediocre comedies. Let’s hope this one is a little better.